Selected quad for the lemma: nature_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
nature_n	ghost_n	holy_a	son_n	19,127	5	5.9468	4	true

Text snippets containing the quad

ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A12210	Yea and amen: or, pretious promises, and priviledges Spiritually unfolded in their nature and vse. Driving at the assurance and establishing of weak beleevers. By R. Sibbs D.D. master of Katherine Hall in Cambridge, and preacher of Grayes Inne London. Reviewed by himselfe in his life time, and since perused by T.G. and P.N.	Sibbes, Richard, 1577-1635.; Goodwin, Thomas, 1600-1680.; Nye, Philip, 1596?-1672.	1638 (1638)	STC 22521; ESTC S102402	91,199	446

17. Rom. 8. Faith and Hope what they are and of what use Heb. 11. 1. Division of the Promises Temporal promises conditionall Mark 10. 20. Vse Object Answ. Deut 28. 16. Quest. Answ. How to get in Christ. Quest. Answ. Iohn 17. 3 Quest. Answ. Phil. 3. 8. Phil. 3. 8. The stability of a Christian having promises Heb. 13. 5. 1 Tim. 4. 8 Psal. 88. 4. Psal. 91. Psal. 112. 7 Psal. 12. Psal. 119. Obser. 1. A Christian needs stablishing grace Obser. 2. The life of a Christian fullof dependancy Mar. 16. 17 18 19 Vse 1 Sam. 2. 9. Prov. 3. Psal. 115. Object Answ. How to discerne establishing grace Helpes to obt●ine confirming grace Object Answ. Psal. 9. 10. Sue the Promises in Prayer Quest. Answ. Why troubles are so irksome Quest. Answ. Quest. Answ. Quest. Answ. Psal. 105. 15 The Spirits sealing Quest. Answ. What our sealing is and the use of it Quest. Answ. Quest. Answ. Ephes. 1. 13. Answ. Quest. Quest. Answ. Quest. Quest. Answ. Quest. Answ. Psal. 42. 13 Vse Psal. 45. Psal. 116. Quest. Answ. Quest. Answ. Quest. Answ. In want of comfort what is to be done Quest. Answ. Why the Spirit is called an earnest Quest. Answ. God meanes truly in giving his earnest Assurance of our estates not alwayes alike A double act of faith to work assurance Things hindring our assurance Sense of Gods love how preserved Quest. Answ. Quest. Quest. Answ. Symptomes of the Spirits inhabitation out of Rom. 8. Quest. Answ. Quest. Answ. How the Spirit is grieved Parts of the Text. Psal. 119. Quest. Answ. Doct. All good things 1 God the Father 2 God the Sonne 3 God the Holy Ghost 4 Angells Psal. 34. 5 Magistrates 6 Ministers 7 The Word 8 Sacraments 9 Outward gifts 10 Outward gifts of Reprobates 11 Favour of Princes 1 Sinne. 2 Corruption of nature 3 Inward and outward grosse sins 1. Doubtings 2 Anger covetousnesse c. 3 〈◊〉 sinnes 4 Carnall sinnes Gal. 6. 6. 5 Sins of others of Gods children Vse Vse 4 Desertions Psal. 6. 5 Wounded Spirit Luke 4. 1. 6 Blasphemous thoughts 7 Continuance in sinne 8 Outward evils 9 Slanders 10 Evils of body 11 Death 12 Death of friends Afflictions 14 Devil and Hereticks Causes why all things work together for the best 1 Gods Decree 2 Gods maner of working 3 Gods covenant 4 Foundation of the covenant Gal. 4. Object Answ. Iob 3. 25. 2 Chron. 31. 33. Object Answ. Simile Object Answ. Evils not to be done that good may come thereof Matth. 4. 4 Danger of wilfull sinning Note 1 God 2 Creatures 3 Good gifts 4 Truth of God 1 Iustification 2 Ch●istian liberty 3 Mor ality 1 Cor. 4 Gods patience 5 The Word Evill things 1 Spirituall ill things 2 Outward evils and crosses Causes Vse Vse Obser. 1. Salvation certaine Obser. 2. Gods particular providence to be observed Obser. 3. Observ. 4 Observ. 5 2 Cor. 6. A ground of understanding the promises A direction to pray for temporall blessings Vse 1. Vse 2. Vse 3. Psal. 34. Psal. 24. Double eye A Christians joy And contentment Vse 5. Holy boldnesse Prov. 29. Prov. 28. 1 Vse 6. 2 Persons to whom this prviledge belongs Excellency of love Christianity not a b●re title only Comfort not to be preached to all Ground of love Nature of the love of God 1 Branch Triall whether we have made a right choice 2 Triall Rom 8. 3 Triall 2 Branch Desire to please the beloved True love rejoyeeth in suffering 3 Branch Love covets union 2 It adviseth with the party loved 3 And fits it selfe for his appearing And hungers after God Psal. 4● 4 Branch Psal. 77. Psal. 4. Psal. 51. Psal. 18. Psal. 71. Quest. Answ. Psal. 26. Directions unto love 2 Direction Meanes to attaine the love of God Psal. 34. 1 Grounds of our love to God Motives to stir up exercise in the love of God

must be in one that is first beloved hereupon comes the ground of the promises to be in Jesus Christ all intercourse between God and us must be in him that is able to satisfie God for us The Almighty Creator will have our debts discharged before he enters into a covenant of peace with us Now this Christ hath perfectly done and thereby reconciled lost sinners hereupon the promise immediately issues from Gods love in Christ to beleeving soules He must first receive all good for us and we must have it at the second hand from him The promises in Christ are as the spirits in the body they runne through al the ages of the Church without him there is no mercy nor comfort to be had God cannot look on this cursed nature of ours out of Christ and therefore whosoever apprehends any mercy from God he must apprehend it in Christ the promised seed To make it clearer our nature since the fall is odious to God a sinfull cursed nature remaines in the best of us and therefore that God may looke peaceably upon it he must looke upon it in him that hath it undefiled in him whom he loves even his only Son like unto himselfe that hath taken our nature upon him Now our nature in Christ must needs be lovely and acceptable and if ever God love us it is for Christ alone who was predestinated before all worlds to be a Sacrifice for us to be the Head of his Church he was ordained to doe us good before we our selves were ordained Christ is the first Beloved and then we God loves us in his beloved one This is my beloved Sonne in whom I am well pleased As if the Lord had said I am pleased in him and in all his in his whole mysticall body Christ is the Son of God by nature we by adoption what ever good is in us is first principally in him God conveighs all by the naturall Son to the adopted sonnes therefore all the promises are made to us in Christ he takes them from God for us He himselfe is the first Promise and all are Yea and Amen in him they are not directed to us abstracted from him but we are elected in Christ sanctified in him acquitted frō sin through him by his stripes we are healed If Christ had not satisfied the wrath of God by bearing our iniquities upon the crosse wee had beene liable every moment to condemnation If he had not been free from our sins we had for ever lyen under the burthen of them You are yet in your sinnes saith Saint Paul if Christ be not risen We are freed from our debts because Christ our surety is out of prison he is in Heaven and therefore we are at liberty The Promises are a deed of gift which wee have from and by Christ who is the first object of all the respect that God hath to us Why are the Angels attendants on us Because they attend upon Iacobs Ladder that is upon Christ that knits Heaven and Earth together So that the Angels because they attend upon Christ first become likewise our attendants we have a promise of eternall life but this life is in his Son God blesseth us with all spirituall blessings in him and makes us sons in him the naturall Sonne whatsoever prerogative we enjoy it is in Christ first and so belongs to us but no further than we by faith are made one with him How darest thou think of God who is a Consuming fire and not think of him as he is pleased and pacified with thy person in Christ who tooke thy nature upon him to be a foundation of comfort and a second Adam a publique person satisfying Divine Justice for all that are members of his body Wee may think upon God with comfort when wee see him appeased in his Christ. As long as hee loves Christ hee cannot but love us Never think to have grace or salvation or any thing without Christ. Doth God love mee doth hee doe good to my soule for my owne sake abstracted from his Sonne no surely then should I flie from his presence But he looks upon me in his beloved and in him accepts of my person therefore our Saviour prayeth I desire thee bles sed Father that the love wherewith thou lovest mee may be in them and I in them This should direct us in our dealing with God not to goe directly to him but by a Promise And when wee have a Promise look to Christ in whom it is performed If we ask any thing of God in Christs name he will give it us If wee thank God for any thing thank him in Christ that wee have it in him What a comfort is this that wee may goe to God in Christ and claime the Promises boldly because he loves us with the same love he beares to his only beloved Sonne If we get fast hold on Christ and cleave there God can assoone alter his love to him as alter his love to us his love is every whit as unchangeable to a beleeving member as to Christ the head of the body The Promises are as sure as the love of God in Christ is upon which they are founded and from which nothing can separate us For Promises being the fruit of Gods love and Gods love being founded first upon Christ it must needs follow that all the Promises are both made and made good to us through him If a Prince should love a man and his love should be founded upon the love he beares to his own Son surely such a one may have comfort that love will never faile him because it is an affection naturall and therefore unalterable he will alwayes love his Sonne and therefore will alwayes delight in him in whom his Son delighteth Now Christ is the everlasting Sonne of the Father his deare and only Sonne in whom hee is ever well pleased and through whom he cannot be offended with those that are his So surely as God loves Christ so surely hee loves all that are united to him There is nothing in the world can separate his love from his owne Sonne neither is there any thing able to separate his love from us that are one with him God loves Christs mysticall body as well as his naturall body hee hath advanced that to glory at his right hand in heaven and will hee think you leave his mysticall body the Church in a state of abasement here on earth No certainly God loves every member of his Son for as he gave us to Christ so Him hath he sealed and annointed to be a Saviour for his people This is the reason why God looks upon us with a forbearing eye notwithstanding the continuall matter of displeasure hee finds in us hee looks on us in his Sonne his love to us is grounded on his love to Christ. And hereupon comes our boldnesse with God the Father that wee can goe to him in all distresses with comfort say Lord look

temptations which hefail us in our pilgrimage A man in his pure natu rals will swell against this doctrine because he feeles no such thing and thinks what is above his measure is hypocrisie He makes himselfe the rule of other Christians to walke by and therefore values and esteemes others by his uncertaine condition but the heart of a Christian hath a light in it the Spirit of God in his soule makes him discerne what estate he is in In a naturall man all is dark hee sees nothing because his heart is in a Dungeon his eye being dark the whole man must needs be in blindnesse All is alike to him he sees no difference betweene flesh and spirit and therefore holds on in a doubting hope in a confused disposition and temper of soule to his dying-day But a Christian that labours to walk in the comforts of the holy Ghost cannot rest in such an unsetled estate he dares not venture his eternall welfare upon such infirme grounds What to depart this life and be tossed in uncertainty whether a man goes to Heaven or to Hell What a miserable perplexity must such a soule needs be in Therefore he is still working out his salvation and storing up of grace against the evill day And well may this condition challenge all our diligence in labouring for it because it is neither attained nor maintained without the strength and prime of our care for the sense of Gods favour will not bee kept without keeping him in our best affections above all things else in the world besides without keeping of our hearts constantly close and neere to him which can never bee done without keeping a most narrow watch over our loose spirits which are ever ready to stray from him and fall to the creature It cannot be kept without exact walking and serious selfe-deniall But what of that Can wee spend our labours to better purpose One sweet beame of Gods countenance will requite all abundantly A Christian indeed undergoes more trouble and paines especially with his own heart than others do but what is that to his gaines One day spent in communion with God is sweeter than a thousand without it What comforts so great as those that are fetched from the Fountaine Oh woe to him that savours not these heavenly but lingers after carnall comforts It cannot but grieve the holy Spirit when the consolations of the Almighty are either forgotten or seem nothing to us But why doth the Spirit thus establish and seale us and conveigh grace to our soules why doth that doe all Because since the fall we have no principles of supernaturall good in us and there must be a principle above nature to work grace in our barren hearts Againe there is still remaining in us an utter aversnesse to that which is spiritually good in the best therefore there must bee somewhat to over-power their corrupt disposition But why the Spirit rather than the Father or the Sonne Hee comes from both and therefore is fit to witnesse the love of both the Holy Ghost is in the breast of the Father and the Sonne hee knowes their secret affection towards us A mans spirit is acquainted with his in most thoughts the blessed Spirit is privie to the hidden love of God and of Jesus Christ to us poore creatures which we are strangers unto therefore none so fit to cheere and revive us Indeed the love originally is from the Father but in regard of application of what is wrought by the Sonne all proceeds from the Holy Ghost he receives grace from Christ for us It must needs be so because no lesse than the Spirit of God can quiet our perplexed spirits in time of tentation For when the conscience of a guilty person is affrighted what man can allay its feares That which must settle a troubled spirit must be a spirit above our owne It being no easie thing to bring the soule and God together after peace is broken we have both wind and tide against us in this businesse grace being but weak and corruption strong in the best of us We should labour therfore for heavenly spirits get somthing more than a man in us There can never be any true peace attained till the Spirit from above settle it in our souls An unsanctified heart is an unpacified heart If there be a neglect of holinesse the soule can never bee soundlyquiet where there is not a cleare conscience there cannot be a calm cōscience that is a generall rule Sinne like Ionas in the ship will raise continuall stormes both within and without a man Take away God once and farewell all true tranquillity Spirituall comforts flow immediatly from the Spirit of Comfort who hath his office designed for that purpose But how shall we know that we have the Spirit How may a man know that hee hath a soule by living and moving by actions vitall c. Even so may a man know hee hath the Spirit of God by its blessed effects and operations it is not idle in us but as the soule quickens the body so doth the Spirit the soule Every saving grace is a signe that the Spirit is in us Wheresoever the Spirit dwells hee transformes the soule changes the party like himselfe to be holy and gracious this is an undoubted symptome of the Spirits habitation Secondly all spirituall graces are with conflict for that which is true is with a great deale of resistance of that which is counterfeit the flesh still lusts against the spirit and Satan cannot endure to see any man walk cōfortably to heaven What thinks hee such a base creature as this is to have the earnest of salvation to live here as if hee were in heaven already and to defie all opposite powers sure hee shall have little peace this way I will disquiet and vex his spirit if he will goe to heaven hee shall go mourning thither This is the reasoning of the cursed spirit whereupon hee labours to shake our assurance and follow us with perplexities The grace and comfort of a Christian is with much conflict and tentations not only with Satan but with his owne heart which so long as guilt remaines wil ever be misgiving and casting of doubts there must therfore be a higher power than the soule of man to quiet and allay its owne troubles Thirdly the Spirit enables us to the practise of those duties which by nature wee are averse unto as to love an enemie to overcome our revenge to be humble in prosperity and contented with any estate It drawes our affection heavenward and makes us delight in God above all as our best portion Hee that hath the Spirit joyes in spirituall company and imployment he hates sinne as being contrary to that blessed earnest which hee hath received He looks on things as God doth and approves of the same as hee is made more or lesse spirituall thereby and so is brought neerer to that fountaine of